I had originally planned to post the in-depth look at both sections in one post. After further thought I thought it best to separate them. So today's post will be the in-depth look at Lk 22:31-34 AND the applications of this section of Scripture.
The initial overview of both passages can be found HERE.
You can hover your pointer over (most) any verse reference to read the corresponding verse(s). (Scriptural cross-references are THE most important resource!)
Luke 22:31-34 (NASB)
31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;
32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
33 But he said to Him, "Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!"
34 And He said, "I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me."
31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;
32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
33 But he said to Him, "Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!"
34 And He said, "I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me."
Grammatical and other Considerations
- The word but in Lk 22:31-32 is a connecting word letting us know that even though something happened (in this case Simon Peter's denial will happen soon!) it is not permenant or set in stone because Jesus had already intervened. He prayed for Simon!
- The subtle but important difference that Jesus lets us in on is that even though Simon Peter will deny the Lord, it is not the same as faith failing! Fail! That is a key word here. Wavering and faltering (even as badly as Simon Peter did or as I have in the past) is not the same as FAILING! Jesus prays so that Simon Peter's faith will not FAIL! I truly and sincerely pray that Jesus will never let my (or any of ours) faith fail!
- Once: Jesus states categorically that Simon will once again turn to Jesus!
- It is interesting that Simon Peter fell silent after Jesus rebuked Simon's boast of never falling away!!
My Questions
- This does bring up the difference between failed faith and faith that has faltered. Peter denied Jesus and yet Jesus was not ready to call that failed faith! Jesus does let us know that Peter was about to turn away from the Lord, but that He had also still prayed for Simon Peter, as Simon Peter's upcoming denials were not yet a failed faith....??? This is a tough question to word correctly. What constitutes a failure of faith in Jesus' eyes? Is that even a question for me to ask??
Verse Cross References
- Luke 22:31 -- Mt 4:10 Am 9:9 Job 1:6-12 Job 2:1-6 Zec 3:1-5 1Pe 5:8 Rev 12:10 Rom 16:20 James 1:13-17
- Thoughts -- The references to Job are obvious. But it is comforting to know that Jesus is in control. Satan cannot attack us without permission. And Jesus intercedes for PEter by praying for Peter as we shall see in the next verse. This is a fairly intense concept to wrap our heads around! It is also important to note that God does not tempt us!! James 1:13-17
- Luke 22:32 -- Jn 17:9-21 Ro 8:34 Jn 21:15-17 (which we will look at in just a little while) Php 1:6 1Th 5:24 2Ti 2:13 !!! Zec 3:1-5 Jn 14:19 Rom 5:9-10 Rom 8:32-34 Heb 7:25 !! 1Pe 1:4-5 1Jn 2:1-2 (an important verse!) Heb 12:15 Mt 18:3 Lk 22:61 Ac 3:19 Ps 32:3-6 All of Psalm 51 1Ti 1:13-16 Heb 12:12-13 1Pe 5:8-10 2Pe 1:10-12 2Pe 3:14-18
- Thoughts -- There is a lot here! Lk 22:32 (which completes Lk 22:31 ) tells us a lot about Jesus and how much He cares about us and just how much we need Him!! Heb 7:25 shows that Jesus is always ready to intercede for those who believe in and love Him! This is not a past tense, one time thing! Jesus will intercede for us. We must repent! We must believe that He died for our sins, rose again on the third day and can now present us as clean before the Father! ( zec 3:1-5 ) Even 1Jn 2:1 states that we are to strive to not sin BUT if someone (someone who has given themselves to Jesus Christ) does sin, Jesus is there to be their (OUR) advocate!! Luke 22:32 is an amazing verse!!
- Luke 22:33-34 -- Pr 8:26 Jer 10:23-24 Mt 26:33-35 Mt 26:40-41 Mk 14:29-31 Jn 13:36-39
- Thoughts -- Peter's boast and Jesus' foretelling of Peter's denial are in all four Gospels! All authors (even with different intents) deemed this incident important enough to include! Why is that? I think it is because it shows just how deep Jesus' love for us truly is! One of Jesus' closest friends on earth was about to deny knowing Him! At Jesus' most crucial and loneliest moment in His time on earth. (and it is important to remember that Jesus felt our emotions...that is why He alone is perfect! He lived with our human imperfections and still managed not to sin! This makes His sacrifice pleasing before God!) So Jesus had to have felt betrayed and lonely and hurt because of Peter's denial! AND YET: Jesus still interceded so that Simon Peter's faith would not fail and Simon would then turn back again. And even when we! (I!) turn away for a moment and sin, Jesus will still intercede for us! (me!) and pray for us! (Me!)..... 1Jn 2:1-2 Truly amazing. I don't have words to adaquetly describe how safe, loved and humbled this realization makes me feel!
Important terms
demanded:
- WORDSearch concordance search -- This Greek word is only used ONCE in the New Testament! Some translations use the word asked, and the King James Version uses the English word desired.
- Definition -- to ask require or demand. To claim back!! That is interesting. In this context, Satan is asking God to have Peter BACK! ?? This seems right. Because we are IN SIN until we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord. And once we do that, we are no longer slaves to sin and we belong to God! We are now in a covenent with Him as we have accepted His amazing gift of grace and salvation.
sift like wheat:
- WORDSearch concordance search -- Once again it is a Greek word that is only used once in the New Testament!!
- Definition -- To shake as grain in sieve. Figuratively: to agitate and prove by trials and afflictions) (which is what Satan tried to do (actually did with God's permission) to Job as well!! Interesting. And we can see from the context that Jesus (God) is allowing Simon Peter to be sifted! (even Jesus had to live through being tempted! He resisted tempation! Mat 4:1-11 And then once Jesus had resisted temptation, He began His ministry!! ) To be tried through trials! BUT, and here is the thing that is sometimes hard to wrap our heads around, Jesus DID pray and did intercede on Simon Peter's behalf so that THROUGH THE TRIALS (the sifting) SIMON PETER'S FAITH WOULD NOT FAIL!! I still don't quite have the words to express these thoughts clearly as I would like! But that is the basis of it. The trials were allowed! BUt Jesus interceded for Simon's faith to NOT fail so that Simon Peter COULD be returned to Jesus!
faith:
- WORDSearch concordance search -- Mt 9:2 Mt 9:22 Mt 9:29 Mt 15:28 Mt 17:19-21 Mk 2:5 Mk 4:40 Mk 5:34 Lk 17:5-6 2Co 13:5 Col 1:23 1Ti 4:1 1Ti 6:10
- Thoughts -- There are obviously many references in the New Testament where Jesus refers to the power, and need for faith! But as we have seen, faith can be fragile. It is prescious!! We must gaurd it! We must ask for Jesus to intercede for us! For the stronger our faith becomes the more the enemy will try to turn us and tempt us. We must pray to and trust in Jesus for the strength of our faith!
- Definition -- conviction, belief in the truth.
fail:
- WORDSearch concordance search -- Nu 15:22 Dt 31:6 2Co 13:6
- Thoughts -- A word that is not used often in the New Testament.
- Definition -- to fail or relinquish or to desert.
turned:
- Definition -- in a moral sense: to turn back again, to cause to return from error.
- WORDSearch concordance search -- Dt 3:28 Jdg 16:28 1Ch 29:12 Ps 89:21 Ps 119:28 Isa 35:3 Isa 41:10 Na 2:1 Zec 10:12 1Th 3:2 2Th 3:3 Heb 12:12 1Pe 5:10 Jas 5:8
- Thoughts -- All strength comes from the Lord! Even when God uses others to give us strength, it still comes from God, Himself!
- Definition -- this word can mean strengthen, to make steadfast, to establish etc. etc. In this context it could mean establish as Jesus had previously told Simon Peter that he would be the rock upon which Jesus would build His church. mat 16:17-18
Propitiation (not in these verse but I want to know it..
from 1Jn 2:2):
- WORDSearch concordance search -- Rom 3:25 Heb 2:17 1Jn 4:10
- Definition -- The word propitiate means to please or calm someone who is angry or annoyed with you. In this case that is referring to God's anger at our sins. Jesus offered Himself through His sacrifice as the propitiation for our sins! He is the one who can please God and therefore assuage God's (righteous) anger. By accepting Jesus' gift of His blood sacrifice and His resurrection we are then accepted by God the Father!
Factual Information from Study Helps
Bible Background Commentary:
- Reminds us that in those days wheat would be sifted to separate the GENUINE wheat from anything else that didn't belong but had somehow gotten mixed into it!
Answering My Questions
- This does bring up the difference between failed faith and faith that has faltered. Peter denied Jesus and yet Jesus was not ready to call that failed faith! Jesus does let us know that Peter was about to turn away from the Lord, but that He still prayed for Simon Peter, as Simon PEter's denials were not yet a failed faith....??? This is a tough question to word correctly. What constitutes a failure of faith in Jesus' eyes? Is that even a question for me to ask?? -- In some ways it is NOT a question for me to ask. Jesus knows who has faith and who doesn't! Jesus knew Simon PEter Loved Him as Simon was the first one to profess that Jesus is the Christ! Mat 16:16-17 We should pray for faith, through our faith in Jesus. We should pray for the strength to not falter or turn momentarily away from God. And if we give in to our basest self, (which is really us ignoring God's help!), we should pray for the strength and faith to return to Jesus and ask for forgiveness! That is our concern. But I think it can be seen fairly clearly from these verses that a sin is not a FAILURE of faith. It is a VERY serious, but momentary turning away from God and what we know. It is definitely displeasing to GOd! BUT it does not neccesarily constitute a FAILURE of faith! If it did, Jesus would never have prayed for Simon Peter's strength to NOT fail AFTER Simon PEter's sin. Jesus prayed for Simon Peter's faith to not fail so that Simon Peter could turn back again from his sin! Jesus' actions and words answer my question. But the heart of the matter is that Jesus knows our hearts! So He knows our faith, and our innermost beings, so that He can see past our failures and successes! Very important stuff!
Commentaries
Wycliffe Bible Commentary:
- States that the YOU in Lk 22:31 is a PLURAL pronoun! This indicates that the devil had asked to sift (tempt) ALL the apostles but Jesus was speaking to Peter as a representative. And then in Lk 22:32 Jesus uses the singular pronoun meaning that He was speaking to Peter and only Peter (whom Jesus prayed for!) So (as the Wycliffe Commentary states it) jesus would NOT relinquish Simon Peter!
Topics for further study
- failed faith
- returning to faith
- seeking our strength in the Lord
- receiving our strength from the Lord
Biblical Principles
- Given the original context, what does the text mean? -- This passage takes place directly after a debate that the Apostles were having over who would be the greatest of them ( Lk 22:24-30 ). Jesus makes the point that He is among them as a servent, ( Lk 22:27 ), and He is God! Why should they debate who is greatest among them? Even Simon Peter, the one who Jesus stated He would build His church upon, is going to have a moment(s) of sin! And as Jesus tells (warns) Simon Peter of his upcoming denials, He also plainly tells Simon that he, Simon, will be called to serve!
- What fundamental universal truths are presented in this passage. State that truth in a simple sentence or two. -- We are all prone to sin! We can all be forgiven through Christ. And we should strive to serve as Jesus wants us to serve. ( Jn 21:21-22 )
- What are the implications when applied to my life and the world around me? -- I should avoid arrogance and always be aware that the enemy is trying to get me to sin! I should double, triple my focus on Jesus and pray for strength and faith!
- What changes does it require? -- A change to even greater amounts of good time in God's Word. More and more focused prayer! An attitude of serventitude
- What values does it reinforce? -- A life of service to others and most importantly to God. This passage also reinforces the fact that we will all be tempted from time to time BUT Jesus is on our side! All we need to do is ask Him for help when we feel tempted.
- What difference does it make? -- Again, and as always, all the difference! We need to avoid giving in to temptation! We need to know and understand that Jesus is there for us and ready to come to our aid in those situations!!
Application
- Is there an example to follow? -- YES! The example that Jesus set! He did not give in to temptation. He battled temptation through prayer and God's Word. And Jesus, who is God!, had a complete attitude of service.
- Is there a sin to avoid? -- YES! Arrogance and ignorance! Simon Peter suffers from both of them in this passage!
- Is there a promise to claim? -- Hmm. It seems so, as it seems Jesus is implicating that He will pray for us and help us. He does not want us to give in to temptation!
- Is there an error to mark? -- Yes! The arrogance and ignorance of Simon Peter. (something I know I suffer from!)
- Is there a challenge to face? --Yes! See above! Temptation is a constant struggle. Only by giving up our problems to Jesus and through prayer can we overcome temptation.
Application Summary
- I need to KNOW and UNDERSTAND that I can not battle temptation on my own! I need Jesus! I can only be forgiven through Jesus Christ and His Sacrifice and Resurrection. (this ties in with the companion study of Jn 21:15-17 ) And I can only overcome and rise above temptation through Jesus' intercessions as well!!
- Mat 4:1-11 1 Co 10:13 James 1:12-25 James 4:7 Jude 24 2Pe 2:9
- 1Co 6:19-20 Scripture that I need to memorize!
- I must constantly pray to Jesus to please not relinquish me!!
Bibliography
- Brand, Chad, Charles Draper, Archie England, ed. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
- Fleming, Don. Concise Bible Commentary. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1994. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
- God's Word: Today's Bible Translation That Means What It Says Holiday, FL: Green Key Books, n.d.. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
- God's Word Application Index. Holiday, FL: Green Key Books, n.d.. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
- – Holman Christian Standard Bible Nashville: Holman Bible, 1999. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
- – Holman Christian Standard Bible Nashville: Holman Bible, 1999. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
- Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary – New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
- Holy Bible, New American Standard. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
- Holy Bible, New American Standard La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
- The Holy Bible: New King James Version Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1988. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
- Pfeiffer, Charles F. and Everett F. Harrison, ed. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Chicago: Moody Bible Institute, 1990. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
- Thompson, Frank Charles. Thompson Chain Reference Bible. Indianapolis, IN: B. B. Kirkbride Bible Co., 1997. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
- Vine, William E. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1940. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
- Walton, John H., Victor H. Matthews, Mark W. Chavalas. The IVP Bible Background Commentary – Old Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
- Zodhiates, Spiros, ed. – The Complete Word Study New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG, 1991. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
- Zodhiates, Spiros, ed. – The Complete Word Study New Testament Chattanooga, TN: AMG, 1991. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
We will conclude this brief study in our next post with an in-depth look at Jn 21:15-19
